The Indiana Pacers opened preseason with a 123-112 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State’s campus, and the box score came with a few early clues about what matters most in this next stretch.
Tyrese Haliburton was back on the floor for the first time since he tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but the bigger takeaway from one preseason game was less about celebration and more about what still needs watching. The Pacers looked sharp enough to win, yet the real story was in the players who flashed something new - and the areas that still deserve attention.
Jarace Walker was the clearest bright spot. He finished with 10 assists and just one turnover, and one of his most eye-catching sequences came when he threw the ball off the backboard before tapping it to a cutting Jay Huff for a dump-off finish. Walker also logged a team-high 28 minutes and finished at plus-18.
That kind of showing fits the role he was always supposed to fill: a connector who can help steady the defense and share some of the passing burden that Tyrese Halliburton has carried. Walker’s development took a hit after the Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam and his place in the rotation got squeezed, so one preseason game doesn’t rewrite anything. Still, it was an encouraging sign that he’s added enough to his game to push for minutes.
Aaron Nesmith gave the Pacers another strong indication that one of their most important pieces is back on track. He scored 19 points in only 16 minutes, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and 4 of 6 from three. After playing only 45 games last season, Nesmith is now one of just two Pacers players locked in beyond two seasons from now.
If he gets back to being the elite three-and-D option he can be, that gives Indiana exactly the kind of balance a roster with three stars needs.
There are still other pieces to unpack, including Ivica Zubac, Tyrese Haliburton, and the small-ball looks that featured Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker together. Those are bigger conversations for later.
For now, the broader picture is simple enough. Preseason can be a trap, but it can also reveal what a team is building toward. Indiana beat a Minnesota team constructed in a similar mold, controlled the paint in a way it hasn’t usually done, and showed a group that is still changing.
That’s worth noticing. So is the return of basketball itself. And if this was only the appetizer, the Pacers are setting the table for something a lot more interesting.
In Other News...
Pacers Rookie Braden Smith Drew A Strange Reaction In His Debut
The Pacers preseason win over the Timberwolves in Hilton Coliseum came with an odd wrinkle for one of Indianas newest guards. Rookie Braden Smith heard boos during his first NBA preseason appearance, a reception that left head coach Rick Carlisle and teammate Tyrese Haliburton puzzled as the game unfolded.
Smith, though, seemed to take it in stride. Instead of letting the reaction rattle him, the rookie said he enjoyed the competitive atmosphere and backed it up with a solid debut, giving Indiana a first look at how he handles a little noise before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Jarace Walker May Be Solving A Pacers Problem Fast
Indianas first preseason win over Minnesota offered an early look at a roster still trying to sharpen its identity, and Jarace Walker was right in the middle of it. The Pacers have long had reasons to want more from the frontcourt, especially when it comes to secondary playmaking and helping clean up possessions, and Walker gave them a strong reminder of why he remains such an intriguing part of the conversation.
What stood out was how naturally the game seemed to flow through him. He piled up assists, took care of the ball, and logged heavy minutes while giving Indiana a presence that can matter in both creation and the glass. For a player who has been waiting for a clearer opening, nights like this make it easier to see why the Pacers have reason to keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Season May Hinge On One Lingering Frontcourt Concern
Indiana entered the offseason trying to stabilize a frontcourt that was exposed at times during the 2025 NBA Finals, and the focus naturally turns to Ivica Zubac. The big man is now penciled in as the starting center after arriving from the Clippers, and the Pacers have added new pieces around him while hoping the combination of Zubac, Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton can push the roster back into the playoff picture.
The concern, though, is what happens if the interior rotation gets tested again. Zubac only appeared in five games for Indiana last season after the trade, and the cost of that move still hangs over the team with little margin for error in the draft pipeline. For a club trying to build around its stars, the real question is whether the Pacers have enough behind Zubac to survive another stretch where the paint becomes a problem. [Read more 🡒]